A boy is born in hard time mississippiSurrounded by four walls that aint so prettyHis parents give him love and affectionTo keep him strong moving in the right directionLiving just enough, just enough for the city...ee ha!

His father works some days for fourteen hoursAnd you can bet he barely makes a dollarHis mother goes to scrub the floors for manyAnd youd best believe she hardly gets a pennyLiving just enough, just enough for the city... yeah!

His sisters black but she is shonuff prettyHer skirt is short but lord her legs are sturdyTo walk to school shes got to get up earlyHer clothes are old but never are they dirtyLiving just enough, just enough for the city...um hum

Her brothers smart hes got more sense than manyHis patiences long but soon he wont have anyTo find a job is like a haystack needleCause where he lives they dont use colored peopleLiving just enough, just enough for the city...

Living just enough...For the city... ooh, ooh

His hair is long, his feet are hard and grittyHe spends his life walking the streets of new york cityHes almost dead from breathing in air pollutionHe tried to vote but to him theres no solutionLiving just enough, just enough for the city...Yeah, yeah, yeah!

I hope you hear inside my voice of sorrowAnd that it motivates you to make a better tomorrowThis place is cruel no where could be much colderIf we dont change the world will soon be overLiving just enough, stop giving just enough for the city!!!!